Teachers

We offer a hand-picked team of talented, dedicated tutors to teach at your home or business, at a time which suits you. All of our team are DBS checked, extensively qualified and active performers on the London scene. We teach across the arts, including magic, with a core excellence in music tuition; music lessons are available in singing, flute, piano, accordion, saxophone, violin, guitar, oud, bass guitar, drums and DJ'ing.

BENJAMIN GASIGLIA - DIRECTOR OF ARTPEGGIOS, GUITAR TEACHER

Benjamin joined Artpeggios in 2011, becoming its Director in 2017. Born in France, he comes from a musical family - his mother is a singer and pianist, and his grandfather was a jazz guitarist (performing with singers such as Gilbert Bécaud and Serge Reggiani). After picking up the guitar at 14, Benjamin went on to study music theory, composition and music history at a conservatoire in Paris, developing his craft under the tutelage of great teachers and performing with numerous artists and bands on stage.

In addition to working as a session guitarist, Benjamin has been teaching for over 15 years, sharing his love for music and gaining real satisfaction from seeing his students improve. He gives them the skills they need to find their own musical voice, provides them with a structured method and opens their minds to music. He teaches a variety of styles including rock, jazz, funk, pop, reggae, Brazilian music, classical and chanson Française, from beginner to advanced. Benjamin's other interests include philosophy, literature and art, all of which have helped him build his musicality. He has an open mind about the different roles that music can play in society.

JANA VARGOVÁ - SINGING, PIANO AND FLUTE TEACHER

Jana was born into a musical family and started learning music at the age of 6. She began studying classical music - flute and piano - and was a member of the Slovak Radio Children Choir in Bratislava, Slovakia. After continuing her studies in France and Austria, Jana moved to London in 2014, beginning her songwriting career and starting her folk-rock project "Lanterns" in which she sings and plays keys. She also sings with many jazz/soul/pop bands gigging around London. Before moving to the UK Jana was a member of "Persona Grata" (flute, vocals), performing as part of Mike Portnoy's (Dream Theater) music festival "Progressive Nation at Sea", in Miami, Florida.

Thanks to her versatility as a performer, Jana's teaching style is tailored to each student's interests and needs. For classical music she teaches both ABRSM and Trinity syllabuses (piano, flute) and has a 100% success rate for students passing grade exams. As a singing teacher she specialises in teaching pop singing with accompanying (piano) at the same time. Her students range in ability (beginner to advanced) and age (children (from 7 years) to adults).

RITA MIHAILOVSKA - PIANO AND SINGING TEACHER

Rita has been playing piano for more than 20 years. She completed the 8 year professional education programme on Instrumental Music in Riga, Latvia, which included in-depth studies in solo performance, ensemble performance, music history, solfeggio and music theory, all completed at the equivalency of conservatoire level.

After moving to London, Rita added to her expertise by obtaining a degree in Popular Music Performance from the prestigious Tech Music School (now BIMM institute). During her degree at Tech Music School she began teaching piano and vocals peripatetically, and has continued this work ever since. Her affinity and enjoyment for teaching has only added to her desire to make a life in music, and her drive to further develop and refine her craft. She continues to perform and teach piano and vocals around London and Latvia.

GUIDO SPANNOCHI - SAXOPHONE TEACHER

Born in Vienna, Austria, Guido studied Jazz Saxophone and Classical Flute in his home city's world-renowned Conservatoire. Followed by studies in Musicology at the Univeristy of Vienna and Université Paris VIII in France, during his student years Guido got to work with world-famous musicians such as Bobby McFerrin, Joe Zawinul, Lew Tabackin and Don Menza. Moving to London in 2011, Guido quickly established himself as a sought after jazz saxophonist and tutor, and since graduating he has collaborated with many established names from the worlds of pop (such as Tricky, DasPop, Spleen, Elektro Guzzi) and jazz (including Nigel Price, Hannes Riepler, Vladimir Kostadinovic).

Guido is currently under contract in various London schools, runs workshops for young professional musicians and holds open call days for 'early years' interested in learning a woodwind instrument. On top of all this he leads regular jazz nights in various London venues and pop-up workshops in community spaces. Regularly touring in Europe and the US with his own ensembles, Guido personifies active musicianship and passionate teaching.

Dan Oates - violin teacher

Dan is an active jazz musician, violinist, arranger and composer working predominantly in London. He regularly plays for 3 fantastic bands on the UK swing scene (Kourosh Kanani Quartet, Benoit Viellefon Orchestra and his own collective, Lisa's House Band), performs with various other bands and orchestras (including Orpheus Sinfonia), and runs residencies at Alan Yau's Berkley Square Restaurant and jazz venue Park Chinois. Alongside his performing life, Dan composes, arranges and records to an equally high standard, working with Nick Laird Clowes of Dream Academy, the rising star Tropics, Rosie Danvers, Ady Sulieman, Asha and alongside world-renowned design company JDO, Craig David, Sam Lee, Blonde and Sony. He is also arranger and performer for 'The Great Gatsby' in the Arts Theatre, Soho.

Dan refined his trade at the Royal Academy of Music, where he has studied on various courses since he was 9. He has completed a Bachelors Degree in Classical Violin and a Masters in Jazz. He has performed around the globe, from South America to Asia and Europe, at some of the world's most famous festivals and venues including Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Ronnie Scott's and the BBC's Live Lounge.

STEFANOS TSOURELIS - GUITAR AND OUD TEACHER

In demand as a guitarist, oud player and teacher, Stefanos studied at the London Guitar Institute / Guitar X where he was inspired by teachers such as Shaun Baxter, Mike Outram and John Wheatcroft. Awarded the Institute's prestigious title 'Best Guitarist Of The Year' in 2008, he has since performed with a diverse range of artists at venues across the UK (ranging from the Barbican Free Stage, Pizza Express Soho, The Vortex to Wilton's Music Hall and 100 Club) and appeared in many festivals and live shows, including for BBC Radio 3 and SOAS radio. He has featured on numerous recordings for both guitar and oud, including releases by Nooray Means Light, the Iota Group and Melange Collective. A composer in his own right, his debut album "Native Speaker" (also featuring Dave Jones and Eric Ford) is scheduled for release in 2017.

Stefanos' teaching approach is to meet the individual needs of each student. He has 15 years' experience teaching guitar and oud, and his teaching methods prepare the student to feel comfortable with pop, rock, jazz and world music. He specialises in teaching improvisation, modern theory and harmony, and the Arabic and Turkish modes on the oud. Stefanos teaches both Rockschool and ABRSM courses, with many of his students going on to achieve high marks.

Jozef Veselský - guitar teacher

Jozef is a guitarist, composer and teacher hailing from Slovakia. A graduate of the Creative Musicianship degree from The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, he is now developing his career as a freelance musician. In addition to teaching and performing, Jozef divides his time between self-managing his band and overseeing artist development at Dreamscope Media Group, an independent record label. He has considerable experience as a session musician having performed and recorded with several artists - notably Veronika Strapkova, finalist of The Voice (Slovakia) and now a rising star in Jozef's home country.

Jozef specialises in rock and funk, but he enjoys playing and teaching all styles, keeping it interesting and challenging for himself and his students.

AUBIN VANNS - GUITAR TEACHER

Aubin is a highly talented musician with 10 years' professional experience performing jazz, pop, rock, blues, soul and folk music. He graduated with an honours degree in Jazz Guitar from Leeds College of Music in 2011, won a place on the Jazz Yorkshire Futures scheme the following year, and in 2017 was awarded a scholarship for postgraduate studies in Jazz at the Royal Academy of Music. Aubin has performed with many groups (including Blue Ejder, Mareld & the Kate Peters' Septet) across the UK and Sweden, including at Manchester Jazz Festival, Lancaster Jazz Festival, Grebbestad Folk Festival and Skärve Herrgård. He has also recorded a number of CDs, notably Songs to Poems by Karin Boye (2014) by Blue Ejder and And So It Goes... (2013) by Mareld. He is currently a member of Lantens, STC and Tom Neale Quartet, as well as leading his own project, Aubin Vanns Trio.

Aubin has taught guitar since 2008, both privately and at The English School in Gothenburg (Sweden), the International School of the Gothenburg Region (ISGR) and the North London Music Academy (Camden). He prefers a holistic approach, incorporating guitar technique, aural skills, rhythmic awareness, theory, improvisation and sight-reading.

His lessons are designed to help students become musicians with a sense of perspective and a broad range of skills, and he prides himself on his high standards and open-minded attitude to self-improvement. Aubin specialises in jazz, but is also fluent in pop, rock, folk, blues and classical music. He primarily teaches guitar but also offers lessons in bass guitar, ukulele and saxophone.

Mark RogerS - bass Guitar teacher

A versatile bassist with an eclectic musical background, Mark's formal training includes time spent as a Durham Cathedral chorister, an Uppingham School music scholar and more recently at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London. His teaching experience began at 18, when he spent a year working in the music department of Trinity Grammar School, Melbourne (Australia) as a tutor, instrumentalist and accompanist, and for consecutive years he was invited to be a music assistant on Uppingham Summer School's renowned 'Young Musicians' Week'.

Having pursued other interests (including obtaining a first class degree in English Literature and working as a solicitor at a leading international law firm), in 2012 Mark returned to his first love to play and teach bass guitar. Drawing on his varied professional experience, his teaching style is built on enthusiasm, dedication and attention to detail. He wants every student to reach their full potential in a creative, enjoyable way, placing an emphasis on developing good technique and a nuanced understanding of rhythm and harmony. Mark is an active performer with various projects across London, playing a wide range of styles with a particular focus on soul, jazz and funk.

Alessio Meloni - singing and drums teacher

Alessio is a dynamic, energetic and highly skilled music teacher with over 12 years' teaching experience. He has taught students of all ages and abilities (beginner to advanced), but he is particularly adept at working with children, transmitting his passion for music to the young generation. A great communicator, all of Alessio's lessons are fully personalised to meet the diverse needs of his students, and he takes particular care to create an exciting and entertaining learning environment.

As well as teaching Alessio performs as a singer, drummer and percussionist, and he also has numerous credits as a composer and producer. While studying jazz singing and electronic music at the University of Cagliari he connected with dancers, actors and musicians from different genres, and this sense of experimentation has influenced his work as a composer, director or performer in interdisciplinary theatrical live performances. His credits include "White Noise" (2011) with Peter Waters (Paolo Fresu Quintet), and "Contact.O" (2012), featuring an electro-acoustic ensemble and live painting performance. On top of these live performances, Alessio has appeared on numerous recordings, and is an experienced session musician.

KAYLEIGH CHEER - DRUMS TEACHER

Kayleigh is an experienced, industry-active drummer and drum tutor. Highlights to date include working with producing legends Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T-Rex) and Mike Chapman (Blondie), and touring the UK and Europe with her band Vyk Non.

In her own words, Kayleigh describes her teaching approach as "honest, friendly and completely personalised to the student's goals and pace of learning." She is trained in working with people who have complex learning needs, and when it comes to grades, her students have a 100% pass rate. She offers home lessons in the Earl's Court / Kensington area.

ASHLEY, AKA ASHMAN DJ - DJ'ING TEACHER

Ashley, aka Ashman DJ, is a disc jockey, producer and tutor of DJ'ing and Controllerism. With over 14 years' experience, his career to date has encompassed music production, live performance, radio presenting/hosting and teaching. Some of the top venues he has performed at include Village Underground, PACHA London, Sound, and Platinum, and he has held a residency at the flagship branch of well-known health & fitness chain GYMBOX. As a DJ he has an eclectic style, often crossing through many different genres during a set.

As a teacher, Ashley ensures his lessons are productive and that his students come away feeling like they have gained new skills, acquired valuable knowledge and expanded their creativity. And, of course, that they had FUN!! Dedicated to continually refining his methods, Ashley not only teaches technical skills but also the historical and cultural context that underpins the music. He adapts to the constantly changing scene, covering new superstar DJ's and artists as they arise, together with the impact of new technology. For his lessons he uses the industry-leading Traktor DJ software and Traktor Kontrol S2 hardware by Native Instruments.

SIEGFFRIED LOEW - MAGIC TEACHER

Siegffried is a magician and actor with extensive performance experience in Paris and London. His acclaimed stage show has been seen by over 50,000 people, and he has won several competition prizes (Golden Star of French Magic, French Magic Champion in manipulation). After 13 years of appearing in the most prestigious cabarets in Montmartre, Champs-Élysées and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Siegffried moved to London in 2013 and has since performed in renowned venues such as Madame JoJo's, The Café Royal and the Rose Theatre.

Siegffried is also an experienced teacher, sharing the secrets of his ingenious stagecraft with students since 2001. Students have ranged in age and background, from young children to eminent ambassadors, and he carefully shapes lessons to match the individual's requirements. His overarching focus is on technique (learning how to work with props, developing dexterity and individual style) and performance skills (learning how to maximise your impact with an audience).

The lessons are designed to boost creativity, coordination and communication skills, and can be started at a very young age. For older students, Siegffried takes them into the realm of psychology and social dynamics, exploring how a magic trick can be transformed into an unfathomable miracle...